Feed and litter carrier.



H. L. FERRIS. FEED AND LITTER GARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1911- 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

j M, 1446, #W

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO, WASHINGTON, D. c.

H. L. FBRRIS. FEED AND LITTER CARRIER. APPLICATION IILBD JULY 17, 1911.

1,056,523. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

H. L. FERRIS.

I FEED AND LITTER CARRIER.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 17, 1911.

1,056,523, Patented Mar.18,1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. FERRIS, 0F HARVARD, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO HUNT, HELM, FERRIS &COMPANY, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FEED AND LITTER CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY L. FERRIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Harvard, in the county ofMcHenry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Feed and Litter Carriers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in feed andlitter-carriers, and is fully described and explained in thespecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig.3 is a vertical section through one of the hangers; Fig. 4 is asection-on the line 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section throughthe tripping mechanism; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 of Fig. 5, andFig. 7 is a section on line 7 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 5 is a track upon which is mounted atrip-block 6.

7 and 8 are groove-rollers running upon the track and supporting hangers9, each of which depends from one side of the corresponding roller andis turned in to a point beneath the line of the track and provided witha depending swivel pin 10.

11 is a U-shaped frame made of outwardly facing channel iron, samehaving brackets 12 perforated to receive the swivel pins 10 and to besupported upon heads at the lower ends thereof and each having its lowerend extended laterally outward to brace the frame. Each bracket 12 hasat its upper end a notched flange 13. Each hanger has pivoted upon it alocking-device 14 pivoted at 15 and spring-pressed to the left as viewedin Fig. 3 by a spring 16. Each locking-device 14 has adownwardlyprojecting finger 17 adapted to engage a" notch in the flange13 of the bracket 12 and it has a hook 18 which lies underneath thetrack to prevent the roller from jumping the track. The end of each hook18 is provided with a tip 19 which is adapted to be engaged by a flangeupon a curve for the purpose of depressing the hook 18 so that thecarrier may pass around the curve, and this same action disengages thefinger 17 of the locking device 14 from the corresponding notch in theflange 13, so asto permit the hanger to swivel.

Vertically movable on the lower ends of the U-shaped frame 11 arejournals 20 held in any of a series of vertical positions by means ofpins 21. Between the journals 20 is pivo-tally mounted a tub 22. Thistub, in the preferred form of construction, has at its upper edge arectangular frame of outwardly facing angle iron, that is, angle ironwith its angle at the upper inner corner of the frame. The main body ofthe tub is made of a single sheet of metal, bent into generallysemi-cylindrical form and riveted to the inside of the longitudinalmembers of the frame 23. Heads 25, conforming to the cross-section ofthe tub and flanged outward at 26, are set in from the ends of the sheet24, the flange 26 being riveted to the sheet 24 and the upper edge 25being riveted to the ends of the angle-iron frame.

27 are tub-locking members adapted to engage with notched members 28 onthe tub. The tub-locking members 27 surround the legs of the U-shapedframe so as to be vertically movable thereon and they are formed withhooks 29 which engage perforations in straps 30, which straps areconnected at their upper ends to chains 31. The locking members 27 areheld downward by springs 32 connected to the movable journals 20. Theadjacent ends of the chains 31 are connected to a trip-member 32vertically movable in a central guide 33 on the upper part of the frame,said guide having rounded chain guides 34. The upper part of thetripping member 32 is adapted to be struck by the trip-block 6 so as tobe depressed whereby to shorten the effective lengths of the chain 31and elevate the locking member 27 for the purpose of releasing the tub.The lower end of the trippingmember 32 is connected to a bell-cranklever 35 and also to a spring 36 attached to the U-shaped frame and soarranged that when the tripping member is elevated it lies practicallyat the line of the lever pivot, and when the tripping member isdepressed on one side of the center of the bellcrank lever 35, so thatwhen the tripping member is up it is held stationary by this'spring, butcan be moved down by a very slight pressure, and when moved downslightly, it will continue to move down to its limit, so as to clear thetrip-block for returning the tub.

The result of this construction is that the tub will be tripped in anobvious manner by engagement of the tripping member with the trip-block,the carrier will return freely without being interfered with by thetripblock and the tripping member can readily be returned to its normalposition by hand manipulation of the lower arm of the bellcrank lever.

In the use of feed and litter-carriers on flexible tracks, there is atendency for the carrier to run to the center of the space between anytwo supports, especially when the carrier is subjected to weight,because the central point will be the point at which it can be thelowest. This tendency gives rise to considerable inconvenience and forthe purpose of remedying the diflioulty, one of the rollers 7 and 8 isprovided with projecting flanges 37 provided with hooks at or near theirends. Pivoted to one of the hangers is a dog 39 having at its end a pinadapted to be engaged by the hooked ends of the ribs or flanges 37 so asto prevent a rotation of the pulley or roller and consequent movement ofthe carrier upon the track. WVhen any tendency of the carrier to move isobserved, the pin on the dog 39 is elevated into engagement with thecorresponding rib or flange by means of a depending chain 40, and theparts will automatically remain in engagement without further'difficulty. When it is desired to release the carrier, it is movedbackward a slight distance and the dog automatically falls out ofposition setting the carrier free.

I am aware that considerable variation 1s possible in the details ofconstruction here shown and while I have described it in detail asrequired, I do not thereby intend to. limit .myself to the specific formdisclosed;m y intention being to the contrary to claim all the noveltywhich may be inherent in the construction as broadly as the state of theart will permit.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. Incombination, a track, rollers to run thereon and provided with radialflanges, hangers carried by the rollers, a litter-carrier tub carried bythe hangers, and a lock ing-dog pivoted on one of the hangers andadapted to be manually moved into engagement with one of the rollerflanges to lock the roller against rotation, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a track, rollers running thereon, hangers supportedby the rollers, a tub carried by the hangers, a dog pivoted to thehangers and adapted to engage projecting flanges, said flanges beinghooked so that when the dog is once in engagement therewith it will beheld in engagement by the tendency of the carrier to move until thecarrier is moved backward.

3. In combination, a track, a trip-block thereon, rollers, a frame, atub pivoted in the frame, locking means for the tub, a verticallymovable trip-member to engage the trip-block, flexible membersconnecting said trip-member and the locking means and adapted to be putunder tension by the movement of the tripping-member, a bellcrank leverattached to said trippingmember and a spring adapted to swing off thedead center as the member is depressed, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY L. FERRIS.

In presence of two subscribing witnesses:

R. A. HEMENWAY, R. N. JAooBs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C.

